he will be much detested by me and by thy children. When
his mother was not willing for him to hide her body in the ground, nor his
aged father, but these two wretches, having hoary locks, dared not to
rescue him they brought forth, yet thou in the vigor of youth didst depart,
having died for thy husband. May it be mine to meet with another[27] such a
dear wife; for rare in life is such a portion, for surely she would live
with me forever without once causing pain.

HERCULES, CHORUS.

HER. Strangers, inhabitants of the land of Pheres, can I find Admetus
within the palace?

CHOR. The son of Pheres is within the palace, O Hercules. But tell me, what
purpose sends thee to the land of the Thessalians, so that thou comest to
this city of Pheres?

HER. I am performing a certain labor for the Tirynthian Eurystheus.

CHOR. And whither goest thou? on what wandering expedition art bound?

HER. After the four chariot-steeds of Diomed the Thracian.

CHOR. How wilt thou be able? Art thou ignorant of this host?

HER. I am ignorant; I have not yet been to the land of the Bistonians.

CHOR. Thou canst not be lord of these steeds without battle.

HER. But neither is it possible for me to renounce the labors _set me_.

CHOR. Thou wilt come then having slain, or being slain wilt remain there.

HER. Not the first contest this that I shall run.

CHOR. But what advance will you have made, when you have overcome their
master?

HER. I will drive away the horses to king Eurystheus.

CHOR. 'Tis no easy matter to put the bit in their jaws.

HER. _'Tis,_ except they breathe fire from their nostrils.

CHOR. But they tear men piecemeal with their devouring jaws.

HER. The provender of mountain beasts, not horses, you are speaking of.

CHOR. Their stalls thou mayst behold with blood bestained.

HER. Son of what sire does their owner boast to be?

CHOR. Of Mars, prince[28] of the Thracian target, rich with gold.

HER. And this labor, thou talkest of, is one my fate compels me to (for it
is ever hard and tends to steeps); if I must join in battle with the
children whom Mars begat, first indeed with Lycaon, and again with Cycnus,
and I come to this third combat, about to engage with the horses and their
master. But none there is, who shall ever see the son of Alcmena fearing
the hand of his enemies.

CHOR. And lo! hither comes the very man Admetus, lord of this land, from
out of the palace.

ADMETUS, HERCULES, CHORUS.

ADM.